Hell Bound

CHAPTER 17

Alithiya looked at the beast in front of her, shock rendering her speechless. Behind her Dragon tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her back to him possessively, growling in warning at the man who had intruded upon their intimate moment. 

Either Cody didn't notice him, or he didn't care. Alithiya thought it was the latter because a man had to be blind not see a snarling demon with a saber stuck in his belt, looking at the aggressor with malice. 

She tried again. "Cody? What are you doing here?" she asked. Behind her, Dragon quietened and she glanced back to see his face returning back to being emotionless. Now, all he had was cold contempt which was directed at the beast before her. 

Cody looked at her with disbelief. "What am I doing?!" he asked incredulously. "Obviously, saving you!" he snarled. 

Alithiya frowned in confusion. "Saving me? From who?" she asked. Cody's eyes shifted to Dragon then back to her. It was a quick movement and if Alithiya hadn't been observing him so closely she would have missed it. Her gaze cleared. "Dragon?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in bewilderment. "He would never hurt me," she said, and to prove her point she let herself fall back into his embrace and tilted her head so she was nuzzling his neck. Dragon nipped her chin in warning to which she nipped him back, boldly and he lifted his head, growling and rejecting her touch. 

The display of affection wasn't lost on the beast who looked at both of them with disgust. "You're consorting with a demon so intimately?" he asked, aghast. 

Before she could tell him, Dragon's mocking voice sounded above her. "And what is it to you, pup?" he asked, cold disdain was plain in his voice. "Am I not allowed to court my mate prior to her wedding?" he asked, coldly. 

Cody took a step back, shocked to the core by what he had heard. "Mate? Wedding?" he croaked, hoarsely. Then he looked at Alithiya, his gaze desperate. "Tell me this isn't true?"

Alithiya didn't get a chance to talk for Dragon interrupted her yet again, his hand on her hip squeezing her in warning. She shut her mouth. "Her parents seemed fine with me courting her," he said, and then she felt him shrug. 

Cody was looking at the demon lord, flabbergasted. He was speechless. Before he could say anything, another wolf burst into the clearing and transformed into a man. This one looked more mature and older, and he looked an exact replica of Cody. An older version, and his authority was clear in his stance as he clamped a hand on Cody's shoulder. "That's enough, son," he said sternly.

Cody shrugged off his hand, furiously and whirled around, his gaze mad with rage. "You knew?!" he asked. 

Sutton ignored him and looked at Dragon, then fell to his knee. "My lord," he said. 

"Lord?! Him?" Cody asked, incredulously. Sutton glared at him, sharply. "If you managed to calm down for just one second and get that beast of yours to scent the air, you know that I'm telling the truth," he barked at him, irritated. 

Cody was many things, but he wasn't an ignorant fool. He knew that his father was telling the truth. So his calmed his breath and called his beast, letting him sense the air. The minute he did, his eyes flew open and was looking at Dragon with an expression close to horror. He dropped to his knees and bowed lowly. "My lord! Forgive me," he had sensed the Deceiver's cold authority and the beast in him, however had been liberated throughout the generation, recognized his master. 

Alithiya frowned at Cody and looked up at her intended, who was smirking slightly, his face smug and arrogant with triumph. She nudged his chin and willed him to look at her. When his mocking eye looked at her, she frowned at him. "You enjoy this too much," she said, lightly.